Consolidated Statements of Income - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 538,976	$ 464,264	$ 1,565,146	$ 1,412,703
Operating expenses:
Cost of revenues, exclusive of depreciation	271,156	235,474	793,943	696,565
Business units - Selling, general and administrative expenses, exclusive of depreciation	76,639	70,914	229,193	214,645
Corporate - General and administrative expenses, exclusive of depreciation	17,593	12,881	41,522	42,462
Depreciation	14,262	15,186	41,594	41,721
Amortization of intangible assets	8,047	5,395	22,791	16,172
Asset impairment and other (gains) charges	(3,005)	7,553	(9,331)	11,086
Total	384,692	347,403	1,119,712	1,022,651
Operating income	154,284	116,861	445,434	390,052
Non-operating income (expense):
Equity income (loss) in unconsolidated investments, net	771	866	15,080	(1,549)
Interest expense	(48,226)	(51,855)	(145,055)	(162,113)
Other non-operating items, net	(214)	(3,671)	(13,005)	(26,853)
Total	(47,669)	(54,660)	(142,980)	(190,515)
Income before income taxes	106,615	62,201	302,454	199,537
Provision for income taxes	13,789	11,447	61,929	54,855
Net Income from continuing operations	92,826	50,754	240,525	144,682
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	4,325	(10,803)	4,325	(233,261)
Net income (loss)	97,151	39,951	244,850	(88,579)
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests from discontinued operations	0	2,806	0	58,698
Net income (loss) attributable to TEGNA Inc.	$ 97,151	$ 42,757	$ 244,850	$ (29,881)
Earnings from continuing operations per share - basic (in dollars per share)	$ 0.43	$ 0.24	$ 1.11	$ 0.67
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations per share - basic (in dollars per share)	0.02	(0.04)	0.02	(0.81)
Net income (loss) per share – basic (In dollars per share)	0.45	0.20	1.13	(0.14)
Earnings from continuing operations per share - diluted (in dollars per share)	0.43	0.23	1.11	0.66
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations per share - diluted (in dollars per share)	0.02	(0.04)	0.02	(0.80)
Net income (loss) per share – diluted (In dollars per share)	$ 0.45	$ 0.19	$ 1.13	$ (0.14)
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:
Basic shares (in shares)	216,015	215,863	216,210	215,558
Diluted shares (in shares)	216,348	218,095	216,617	217,827
Dividends declared per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.07	$ 0.07	$ 0.21	$ 0.28